A compact disk song accompaniment apparatus (CD-OK apparatus) is a device which stores thousands of songs, lyrical data, and background picture images. When a particular song is selected for reproduction, the CD-OK apparatus is capable of displaying picture images and/or lyrics which correspond to the selected song. In general, a CD-OK apparatus can store lyrics for about 2,000 songs and about 4,000 still screen images on one compact disk.
Also, a karaoke TV receiver is a device which also stores many songs, lyrical data, and graphic images. However, the karaoke TV receiver stores the above data in a semiconductor memory instead of a compact disk. As a result, the storage capacity of a karaoke TV receiver has about one fifth the storage capacity of a CD-OK apparatus and is capable of only storing about 400 songs and scores of graphic images. Moreover, the karaoke TV receiver functions as a karaoke parlor with compact disk graphics (CDG) level capability.
In a CD-OK apparatus which has no display unit, the reproduced video signal is supplied to an external video connector jack of a TV receiver via audio and video output ports. Thus, the video signal is displayed on the TV receiver and the audio signal is output to a speaker. Since external connections must be made between the TV receiver and the CD-OK apparatus, connecting the CD-OK apparatus to a TV receiver is inconvenient.
On the other hand, the karaoke TV receiver is incorporated with a TV set, and thus, is more convenient in some aspects than a CD-OK apparatus having no display unit. However, since the memory capacity of a karaoke TV receiver is about one fifth that of the CD-OK apparatus, only a few background graphic screens can be accommodated.
Also, a variety of compact disk types are currently available on the market, such as CD-digital audio disks, CD-graphics disks, and CD-video disks. Since each disk has its own particular format, each disk can only be reproduced from a CD player which is specifically produced for each of the disks above. As a result, in order to reproduce each type of disk, separate CD players are required, thus increasing the cost of developing a completely compatible reproduction system.
Moreover, as the number of separate CD players increases, the amount of space needed for installation and the number of unsightly external connections likewise increase. Furthermore, since each CD player is generally provided with its own exclusive remote controller, a greater number of remote controllers are required to operate the reproduction system.